This article was written by Alana Bartolai, B.S., M.S. It was published in the June 2026 edition of the ESCONI newsletter. Originally, it appeared in the May 2022 edition of the ESCONI newsletter.
It’s a bad year for ticks, so be very careful out there. Remember, do frequent tick checks and use insect repellent!
With spring and warmer weather, it means the return of the pesty ticks. May is Lyme awareness month so it’s a good reminder that if you plan to spend time outdoors, taking preventive measures to reduce your risk of tick bites is essential!
Here are a few tips that can help prevent ticks:
Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing, and camping gear. It will remain through several washings. Follow the label directions to safely apply, and remember, permethrin is toxic to cats.
Use EPA-registered insect repellents such as ones that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
After being outdoors, check your clothing, gear, and pets for ticks. If possible, showering within two hours of coming indoors is helpful. Deer ticks must be attached to you for more than 24 hours to transmit Lyme disease, so tick checks after being outdoors can greatly reduce your risk of tick-borne diseases.
Throw clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10-20 minutes. Ticks do not tolerate high heat and throwing clothes in the dryer after being outside can kill any ticks that might have been crawling on your clothes.
If you do find a tick attached, use a tweezer, and grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward. It’s a good idea to add tweezers to your first aid kit! If you are bit by a tick and you develop symptoms within a week, see your healthcare provider.
Remember that ticks can be active year-round, but Spring and Fall are the peaks. For more information on ticks refer to: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html
Alana is the Ecological Services Program Coordinator in the Lakes Management Unit/Environmental Health for the Lake County Health Department. She has a B.S. in Geology and an M.S. in Water Resources Science.
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